diff --git a/python/ray/util/client/worker.py b/python/ray/util/client/worker.py
index 7ef15c717309..745b78b51ea1 100644
--- a/python/ray/util/client/worker.py
+++ b/python/ray/util/client/worker.py
@@ -29,17 +29,26 @@
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+INITIAL_TIMEOUT_SEC = 5
+MAX_TIMEOUT_SEC = 30
+
 
 class Worker:
     def __init__(self,
                  conn_str: str = "",
                  secure: bool = False,
-                 metadata: List[Tuple[str, str]] = None):
+                 metadata: List[Tuple[str, str]] = None,
+                 connection_retries=3):
         """Initializes the worker side grpc client.
 
         Args:
+            conn_str: The host:port connection string for the ray server.
             secure: whether to use SSL secure channel or not.
             metadata: additional metadata passed in the grpc request headers.
+            connection_retries: Number of times to attempt to reconnect to the
+              ray server if it doesn't respond immediately. Setting to 0 tries
+              at least once.  For infinite retries, catch the ConnectionError
+              exception.
         """
         self.metadata = metadata if metadata else []
         self.channel = None
@@ -49,6 +58,21 @@ def __init__(self,
             self.channel = grpc.secure_channel(conn_str, credentials)
         else:
             self.channel = grpc.insecure_channel(conn_str)
+
+        conn_attempts = 0
+        timeout = INITIAL_TIMEOUT_SEC
+        while conn_attempts < connection_retries + 1:
+            conn_attempts += 1
+            try:
+                grpc.channel_ready_future(self.channel).result(timeout=timeout)
+            except grpc.FutureTimeoutError:
+                if conn_attempts >= connection_retries:
+                    raise ConnectionError("ray client connection timeout")
+                logger.info(f"Couldn't connect in {timeout} seconds, retrying")
+                timeout = timeout + 5
+                if timeout > MAX_TIMEOUT_SEC:
+                    timeout = MAX_TIMEOUT_SEC
+
         self.server = ray_client_pb2_grpc.RayletDriverStub(self.channel)
 
         self.data_client = DataClient(self.channel, self._client_id,